Title : Is pregnancy a major risk factor for musculoskeletal pain: A cross-sectional study
Abstract:
Background: Musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy is commonly considered prevalent, though evidence primarily comes from cross-sectional studies lacking appropriate control groups.
Objective: To examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women as a reference group.
Design: Observational cross-sectional.
Methods: 1651 women (589 pregnant, 1062 non-pregnant) in Israel completed an online survey using the Hebrew Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and SF-12. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses examined associations between pregnancy status and pain prevalence while controlling for confounding factors including age, BMI, education, employment, lifestyle factors, and medical history.
Results: Pregnant women reported higher rates of upper back pain (67.1 % vs. 56.4 %, p = 0.02) and lower back pain (73.9 % vs. 64.9 %, p = 0.004), while non-pregnant women reported more hip/thigh pain (54.5 % vs. 48.4 %, p < 0.001). However, after controlling for confounders in multivariate regression, these associations became non-significant. Pregnant women had significantly lower physical component scores (43.31 ± 9.33 vs. 48.08 ± 8.41, p < 0.001). Physical health status (PCS-12) was the strongest predictor of current low back pain (OR = 0.92, 95 % CI: 0.90–0.94, p < 0.001), pregnancy status showed no independent association (OR = 1.19, 95 % CI: 0.77–1.84, p = 0.430). Smoking emerged as a significant risk factor (OR = 2.02, 95 % CI: 1.03–3.96, p = 0.042).
Conclusion: This study challenges the assumption that pregnancy inherently causes higher musculoskeletal pain prevalence. Physical health status plays a more substantial role than pregnancy status per se, highlighting the multifactorial nature of pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pain.
